Rental Policy and Procedure

Our facility currently rents out space to a K-8 school, 12-step recovery programs and singing groups on a regular basis, as well as other groups on an occasional basis. If you are a non-profit group in need of a space, please contact the facilities coordinator for space availability. Click here for some more information about renting here.

Rental Forms

Check with the facilities coordinator for availability and then return the Requirement Letter, Facility Use Application, and any applicable fees and other paperwork to the office. Please refer to this document for guidelines on using our facility.

Weddings at CGS

This congregation supports all forms of families. The best way to start is by making an appointment with the pastor to discuss what kind of ceremony you have in mind.
If you already know what you want and just want to rent the facility, check with the office for dates available.

Funerals at CGS

The transition from this world to the next is a very sacred time which we want to surround with prayer and loving care. Please do not hesitate to contact the pastor day or night as death draws near. The staff of the church is available to assist you in all the stages of funeral planning. The CGS memorial shepherds provide refreshments or luncheons following a funeral service. Pre-funeral planning is a great gift to your loved ones and is highly recommended whenever possible. The church office has many resources to assist you.

Columbarium

WHAT IS A COLUMBARIUM?

A Columbarium is a group of niches or receptacles in a wall that serves as a resting place for cremated remains. Memorial services and inurnments of ashes are scheduled through the office of the pastor of Christ the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.

A Columbarium reestablishes more significant relationships between the community of the living and that of the deceased. Many churches are now reclaiming their responsibility to deceased members and also to grieving relatives and family.

WHY DO WE HAVE THE COLUMBARIUM AT CHRIST THE GOOD SHEPHERD?

Cremation is becoming a common practice in the United States. Inurnment of ashes in a church Columbarium proves to be sensitive to the environment as well as considerably less expensive than commercial choices. The ashes will always be held in the church, safe and secure from possible vandalism or abandonment. A Columbarium is a healthy reminder for the living saints of the church in communion with those who have gone before.

CHRIST THE GOOD SHEPHERD COLUMBARIUM

Our Columbarium was built by Armento Liturgical Arts in Buffalo, New York. The stained glass window in the center was the work of Wesley Hogan of Hogan Art Glass, San Jose. The installation and surrounding woodwork was provided by Ward Zitzer. The prayer bench was commissioned by the Lydia Dorcas Guild and was also built by Mr. Zitzer.

Who may purchase a niche?

Niches in the Columbarium are available for members of the congregation and the immediate families: spouses, parents, children and the children’s spouses.

What is the cost and what are the procedures for purchase of a niche?

A niche may be purchased for $400. Applications are available in the church office or here. The completed applications and payment will be finalized by the curator of the Columbarium.
Management of the Columbarium is provided by the Columbarium Committeeand the the pastoral consultant is Beate Chun.

Memorials

Memorials are regularly received through the church office. Funds over and above the costs of the Columbarium and preparations for inurnment are designated for the church memorial fund.

OUR RELIGIOUS TRADITION

From earliest times, people have been concerned about their final resting place, especially that it be near the gathering place of their families so that each may be held in lasting, loving embrace.
In early Christian times, preferred burial space was within the church itself where the faithful gathered for a memorial service.
When space within the church was no longer available, the churchyard cemetery developed. Only in recent times have burial grounds, far removed from the centers of life and prayer, been used.
Both in ancient and in Christian times the dual tradition of burial and of cremation was preserved. More recently, consideration of the spiritual and the practical aspects of cremation and inurnment within the church itself has led to a revival of this aspect of the tradition. The cremated remains are preserved in niches in a Columbarium fittingly designed and prepared.